N.Y. Gov. Notes Disaster Recovery Funds for Summer Storms Impacts 190 Municipalities

New York Gov. George Pataki has announced the release of more than $6.4 million in federal and State payments to 190 municipalities and entities in the continuing recovery effort from last year’s late summer storms which resulted in two federal disaster declarations.

“Last summer’s seemingly never-ending storms placed an unexpected financial burden on communities across New York,” the Governor said. “We sought to do everything possible to help New Yorkers who were impacted by storms, heavy rains, and flooding, safely recover and rebuild. These funds reflect my commitment to help make sure that local communities are on the road to recovery.”

In this round of payments, 124 municipalities or organizations received a total of $3,131,805,08 for the storms that occurred Aug. 13-Sept. 16; 78 received payments totaling $3,308,067.94 for the Sept. 16-24 storms. The public assistance funds released provide 87.5 percent reimbursement of the costs incurred by localities for activities such as emergency protective measures, the restoration of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and debris removal.

The funding was forwarded from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), which is responsible for the coordination and distribution of disaster relief funds in the State. As project worksheets are completed and approved for municipalities in the declared counties, additional public assistance funds will be released to those communities.

The first series of storms, which began Aug. 13 and continued through Sept.16, caused extensive flooding that closed State and local major roadways, isolating residents and significantly impacting businesses. The heavy rains caused power outages, and coupled with the road closures, forced scores to seek shelter out of their homes. The following 15 counties were declared eligible to receive public assistance for that period: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Columbia, Delaware, Monroe, Niagara, Onondaga, Orange, Orleans, Steuben, Sullivan, Ulster and Warren.

The second series of storms that occurred Sept. 16-24 forced thousands of people from their homes, especially in the Delaware River Basin counties of Delaware, Sullivan and Orange and in Broome County in the Southern Tier.

Damage to roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure seriously impacted the ability of local governments to provide emergency services because of the closures and detours. The following nine counties were declared eligible for federal public assistance: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Orange, Schoharie, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, and Ulster.

Gov. Pataki directed the implementation of the State Emergency Operations Plan at the outset of the storms in August and directed State agencies to take necessary actions to protect public health and safety and to restore vital public services and transportation systems. Among those State agencies that responded and assisted in the recovery effort were the State Police, the State Departments of Transportation, Health, Environmental Conservation, and Correctional Services, the Thruway Authority and SEMO.

SEMO Director James Tuffey, who also served as state coordinating officer for both events, said, “We continue to fulfill the Governor’s directive to get these payments out to eligible communities as quickly as possible.”

The following received disaster relief assistance for the Aug. 13-Sept. 16 storms:

Allegany County: Town of Birdsall, $26,325.52; Town of Grove, $50,514.08.

Broome County, $23,588.72; Town of Colesville, $40,379.19; Town of Sanford, $54,461.09; Village of Windsor, $9,153.07; Town of Windsor, $300,472.80; Windsor Consolidated School District, $23,371.66.

Cattaraugus County: Town of Conewango, $9,957.07; Town of East Otto, $4,080.81; Village of East Randolph, $1,665.32; Town of Franklinville, $20,942.48; Town of Humphrey, $22,294.68; Town of Machias, $10,658.86; Town of Perrysburg, $9,629.49; City of Salamanca, $18,109.93.

Columbia County, $5,869.83; Town of New Lebanon, $17,753.01; New Lebanon Central School District, $3,972.15; Town of Canaan, $69,213.76.

Delaware County: East Branch Fire Department, $1,609.64; Town of Colchester, $74,803.57; Town of Hancock, $14,574.69; Town of Masonville, $25,255.84; Town of Roxbury, $999.72; Village of Hancock, $2,221.90.

Monroe County, $53,843.02; Hilton Central School District, $1,045.77; Churchville Fire Department, $7,683.45; Village of Honeoye Falls, $23,775.04; Town of Irondequoit, $59,298.50; City of Rochester, $3,801; Town of Gates, $4,716.12; Village of Hilton, $3,560.33; Spencerport Fire District, $12,029.85; Town of Greece, $27,833.53; Mendon Fire District, $1,750.05; Ridge Road Fire District, $9,644.03; Town of Webster, $16,401.63; West Webster Fire District, $3,132.94; Village of Brockport, $9,369.22; Town of Henrietta, $3,923.90; Town of Pittsford, $1,511.37; Town of Sweden, $1,718.91; Chili Fire Department, $1,284.25; Village of Spencerport, $8,632.32; Union Hill Fire Department, $1,526.06.

Niagara County, $6,620.19; Village of Middleport, $4,521.28; Town of Royalton, $11,200.79; Starpoint Central Schools, $905; Town of Hartland, $14,230.48; Town of Pendleton, $36,670.89; Wendelville Volunteer Fire Company, $1,729.35; Town of Lewiston, $2,382.97; Town of Niagara, $2,148.17; City of North Tonawanda, $4,779.17; Middleport Fire Department, $3,321.99; Hartland Volunteer Fire Company, $7,035.34; Village of Lewiston, $4,392.52; Town of Lockport, $2,640.09; Town of Wheatfield, $6,929.28; Wilson Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, $1,482.85; Wilson Central School District, $8,486.19.

Onondaga County: Town of LaFayette, $17,892.85; Town of Tully, $31,373.18; Town of Manlius, $16,214.71; Town of Pompey, $15,710.22; Village of Fayetteville, $2,794.80; Town of Onondaga, $16,517.53.

Orange County, $48,436.47; Town of Minisink, $2,146.03.

Orleans County, $28,079.12; Village of Albion, $8,552.88; Town of Barre, $2,659.88; Holley Central School, $4,394.27; Town of Clarendon, $2,837.78; Town of Gaines, $12,540.18; Village of Holley, $14,958.75; Village of Lyndonville, $1,516.35; Village of Medina, $12,399.98; Town of Ridgeway, $13,475.34; Town of Shelby, $10,616.34; Town of Yates, $28,088.43; Holley Fire Department, $1,923.14; Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, $6,241.05; Carlton Fire Company No. 1; $1,180.79; East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company, $1,316.25; Kendall Fire Department, $2,059.86; Town of Kendall,3,516.22; Barre Fire District, $924.61; Fancher, Hulberton, Murray Fire Department, $4,694.17.

Steuben County: Village of Addison, $14,463.41; Town of Addison, $120,848.82; Town of Avoca, $19,525.33; Town of Cameron, $68,210.94; Town of Campbell, $190,994.40; Town of Dansville, $15,448.57; Town of Erwin, $22,642.57; Town of Fremont, $11,738.86; Town of Jasper, $132,647.53; Town of Rathbone, $76,395.94; Town of Cohocton, $53,971.28; Town of Bath, $106,567.97; Town of Thurston, $41,599.31.

Sullivan County, $33,113.28; Wurtsboro Fire Department, $1,615.86; Town of Liberty, $65,651.49; Village of Liberty, $48,325.13; Town of Highland, $2,892.75; Town of Mamakating, $9,703.24.

Ulster County, $14,995.86; Town of Denning, $43,775.79; Town of Esopus, $9,019.80; Town of Hurley, $4,800.34; Town of Marbletown, $17,428.15; Town of Wawarsing, $20,556.70; Town of Rochester, $195,161.88; Ulster County Community College, $8,873.04; City of Kingston, $39,740.27; Town of Lloyd, $26,102.92.

Warren County, $36,246.16; Town of Thurman, $73,949.08; Town of Horicon, $73,950.51.

Disaster relief reimbursements for the September 16-24 storms have been approved for the following:

Broome County, $69,550.52; City of Binghamton, $57,629.11; Town of Conklin, $119,941.81; Village of Deposit, $10,670.21; Town of Dickinson, $1,939.42; Village of Endicott, $32,547.91; Village of Johnson City, $8,226.46; Town of Kirkwood, $157,274.11; Town of Maine, $2,867.04; Town of Union, $25,411.67; Endwell Fire District, $5,577.12; Town of Chenango, $1,564.66; Town of Sanford, $103,477.98; Village of Windsor, $6,558.23; Town of Windsor, $48,080.01; Binghamton City School District, $23,917.34; Conklin Volunteer Fire Department, $1,759.12; Union Endicott Central School District, $30,916.81; Deposit Fire Department, $36,807.72; Town of Vestal, $171,273.53; Kirkwood Fire Company District 1, $3,950.16.

Chenango County: Town of Afton, $3,836.10; Town of Bainbridge, $53,171.49; Bainbridge Fire Department, $2,474.63; Town of Coventry, $9,464.11; Town of Smithville, $15,547.46; Town of Smyrna, $52,404.03. Delaware County: Town of Delhi, $14,750.04; Town of Sidney, $21,217.63; Town of Andes, $195,215.90; Town of Bovina, $2,487.90; Walton Fire Department, $1,646.69; Village of Delhi, $4,129.01; Hobart Fire Department, $2,109.56; Town of Colchester, $196,035.15; Town of Masonville, $8,554.62; Town of Middletown, $15,961.95; Town of Harpersfield, $1,998.68; Village of Walton, $2,487.97; Town of Tompkins, $55,730.45; Town of Kortright, $80,084.50; Town of Hamden, $11,924.07.

Orange County, $3,528.11; Town of Minisink, $46,057.97; Town of Mount Hope, $72,643.25.

Schoharie County, $76,239.51; Town of Carlisle, $4,884.20; Town of Conesville, $27,414.12; Town of Gilboa, $51,594.14; Town of Jefferson, $100,841.56; Village of Middleburgh, $8,488.73; Town of Summit, $32,575.36; Town of Cobleskill, $20,925.05; Village of Cobleskill, $1,526.19; Town of Fulton, $34,128.77; Town of Middleburgh, $28,905.86.

Steuben County: City of Corning, $27,647.75; Town of Wayne, $11,727.49.

Sullivan County: Town of Neversink, $72,546.81; Town of Rockland, $135,920.49; Town of Highland, $89,310.65; Town of Tusten, $137,466.58; Town of Delaware, $7,180.92; Town of Callicoon, $7,683.45; Town of Liberty, $21,234.20.

Tioga County, $23,220.10; Town of Berkshire, $190,405.57; Town of Owego, $32,592.22; Village of Candor, $23,281.87; Town of Richford, $57,263.54; Town of Newark Valley, $136,877.81; Town of Candor, $21,083.54; Town of Barton, $10,860.

Ulster County: Town of Woodstock, $3,068.30; Town of Denning, $6,044.55; Town of Hardenburgh, $115,674.41; City of Kingston, $10,262.94.